Katamari Damacy Official in U.S.

In an announcement made today exclusively to IGN, Namco confirmed what was believed to be only a rumor: that Katamari Damacy is headed for North America.

Due out on store shelves this September, Katamari Damacy is a unique and addictive action title that puts players in the role of "Prince of the Cosmos." Your father, the great king, has inadvertently eliminated the stars from the sky and it's your job as his son to clean up the mess that he's created. To do so, players become a sticky rolling mass that can collect objects and items from all over the world. Collect enough "Katamari" (A Japanese word for "clump") so that you have the biggest mass of stuff possible, and you win. Stay too small, however, and the sky will never be put right again.

"Eccentric, quirky, weird, goofy, wild, outrageous, addictive, intriguing, charismatic and captivating -- they all apply," said Rod Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Research and Development for Namco Hometek Inc. "There are many words to describe Katamari Damacy -- and the most important one is fun."

Fun seems to be exactly what IGN's Japanese correspondent Anoop Gantayat had plenty of when he play tested the final import version of Katamari Damacy a few months back. And with hundreds of different objects of various sizes and shapes to collect (from oranges and crayons to fences and garbage trucks) throughout the adventure, the possibilities for an enormous replay value are definitely there. Throw in a two-player battle mode and a distinctive art design, and you have yourself the makings of something quite interesting.

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To check out Anoop's impressions for yourself, Click Here; while following the link to our media page below takes you to a fresh batch of screenshots made specifically to celebrate the North American announcement. We'll be back with more on Katamari Damacy in the coming months.